Making it Work
by jenrin
Summary: Callie's pregnant and Arizona is all in.  This is how they make it work.  Chapters may not be in order
1. Chapter 1  Halfway

Making it Work: Half-Way

Author: Jenrind

Rating: PG

Spoilers through 7x13 - takes place a bit in the future.

Summary: I want to write happy fic, but these guys have issues and insecurities that aren't going to be settled at all soon. They're the type of issues that take time to recover from and I really don't want them to break up again so I want to see them fight..and make up of course!

Alone now in their living room, Arizona was mad, furious, and Callie was doing her best to navigate. "I get that you're mad, but..."

"He was touching you!"

"He was touching the baby. That's currently being housed in me..."

"Look, I know he's the father. I know that he gets invited to all of the doctor visits and brings over those horrible nutritious shakes you keep throwing away, and that's okay. I get that. But you slept with him. You had sex with him..."

"We were broken up!"

"And I spent that time miss...missing you and you spent it sleeping with Mark Sloan."

"And you still haven't really forgiven me, have you?" Callie asked quietly, sadly.

"Will you stop looking at me like that? I am angry, and I am jealous. I am NOT leaving you." And here came the tears, which had Arizona sighing and losing some of her anger. She stepped up to Callie and wiped the tears from her cheeks before taking her face between her hands, forcing Callie to make eye contact.

She managed to smile and the tone of her voice completely changed, "Isn't pregnancy a wonderful thing?"

Callie managed a chuckle, "Arizona...Mark isn't going anywhere. He's got half interest in our kid and he's collecting. I know that this is hard..."

Arizona dropped her hands but didn't step away... "Do you? Because sometimes I'm not so sure."

Callie was trying, she really was, "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to separate yourself from Mark Sloan."

"Arizona, he's my best..." Arizona just shook her head.

"I know. He's your best friend. And I used to be okay with that...most of the time. But now he's the father of your...our child. He's going to be in our lives forever. And I'm trying really really hard to be okay with that. I need you to give me this." Arizona put her hand possessively on Callie's belly. "Your body is MINE. When the baby starts to kick he can come over and feel it. He can record his voice and we can hold the recorder to your stomach so that the baby recognizes him. But he doesn't get free rein anymore. He doesn't get to come over to our home without calling. And the two of you...I can't have you hanging out with him like you used to."

"Arizona..."

"Callie - I cancelled my trip back to Malawi because you were freaking out. And I got that. I'm still going to have to go back, but I can wait a bit longer." Arizona stepped in closer and wrapped an arm around Callie's waist. "I need you to meet me half-way."

Callie slowly began to smile as her girlfriend made the transition from mad to flirtatious and cocked a brow, "Half way huh?"

"Half way."

"Okay." Callie leaned down and gave Arizona a light kiss. "I'll spend less time with Mark." Another kiss. "And I'll tell him he needs to keep his hands to himself." She grinned a bit as she went in for a third, deeper kiss. "Your hands however..."

Arizona let her hands speak for themselves.


	2. Chapter 2  Bailey Offers an Opinion

"What I wanna know is what the hell happened to the woman who lectured me about condoms?" Bailey demanded as she plopped a set of charts on top of the nurses' station next to Callie, who stood there making notations in a chart of her own.

"Bailey," Callie cocked a brow, "Who told you?"

"Please…Torres, I thought you finally had more sense than to hop back on that…"

"Hey, hey, hey – I've seen that hot piece of nurse's ass you've been running around with – introduce him to Tucker yet?"

"Oh no, you do not get off that easy. At least tell me that in addition to pregnancy you got yourself tested for every STD known to man."

"You do realize you're talking to the girl whose sweet, kind dorky ex-husband helped spread herpes throughout this entire hospital, right?"

"Torres?"

"Of course I did. The only thing I caught was a baby." And Callie couldn't contain the smile that overtook her at the thought.

"Congratulations then. You and the manwhore parents." Bailey cackled. Who wouda thunk?"

"Don't forget Arizona."

"Oh I'm not, believe me, hospital grapevine wouldn't let me if I tried." Bailey paused. "So the two of you…"

"She came back Bailey, for me," a softer smile lit her features this time before she laughed at herself, "And she didn't hop on the next flight back to Malawi when I told her…but…"

Bailey pointedly ignored the 'but' to deliver her own home truth, "Arizona's a proud woman, the fact that she's willing to look the fool to be with you..."

"Arizona's not…Bailey, come on, it's not that bad. Is it?"

"Torres, you're having your best friend's kid. Doesn't take a world class surgeon to put one and two together and come up with…"

"What? But I never…Bailey, tell me you know that I never."

"You were so blinded by those dimples you practically walked into walls. So no, I don't think you cheated on her or were wrapped up in some three-way gone wrong. But others aren't so kind. So if I were you, I'd show my appreciation, if you know what I mean." Bailey gave Callie a two second stare down before picking up her charts and walking away, her work done.


	3. Chapter 3 Callie offers April advice

Making it Work - Chapter 3 - Patchwork

Author: Jenrind

Rating: PG-13 for discussions of sex...

Spoilers through 7x14 - takes place during the pregnancy.

Summary: What happens when April asks Mark on a date and Callie tells April to buy a vibrator

Callie wrinkled her brow as she watched April Kepner skip away from Mark Sloan and down the hospital hallway, a goofy smile on her ridiculously cheerful face, and felt the need for an explanation.

"What did you say to little miss sunshine to cause all of that?" Callie asked Mark.

"I said Yes."

"Yes to what?" Callie asked before letting his words sink in. "Oh...Oh no, she didn't. Mark. NO. Absolutely N.O."

"Torres, your extra special vagina vote doesn't apply here."

"Mark, she's practically an infant."

"She's older than Lexie."

"This isn't about age, this is about experience. Life experience. And that girl has none. Zip. Zero. We're talking big fat V-Card."

"Cal. She asked me out. She's an adult. Maybe she's decided it's time to turn in her card."

"Uh uh. No one holds onto something that long and throws it away."

"Gee thanks."

"Something else is going on. You...You will not sleep with her."

"Who's going to stop me?"

Callie just smirked. "I'll sic Arizona on you."

Mark paled, "You wouldn't."

Callie lifted a brow and slowly crossed her arms across her chest, "Try me."

"Fine." Mark sulked as Callie started to back away, but couldn't resist a final word. "But I expect a replacement."

"Mark, that's just. Ewwww." Callie shook her head at him before hurrying after April. She caught up to her easily, grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the nearest empty room, which just happened to be a supply closet and shut the door behind them.

April, having recently experienced Doctor Torres' caffeine addled ranting, tried to hide her fear at being so abruptly accosted while wishing she'd worked harder on that English accent. "Doctor Torres, you're looking amazing today, must be that extra special pregnancy glow, can I, can I help you with something in here?"

Callie simply crossed her arms over her chest, "Who is he?"

"Who's who?"

"The guy you want to pay back by sleeping with Mark Sloan." April's eyes widen.

"Oh...Oh, I'm...I'm so sorry. I thought you and Doctor Robbins were...I obviously made a mistake. My apologies Doctor Torres." April, a bit intimated by Doctor Torres at the best of times, reached frantically for the handle and cringed slightly when Doctor Torres reached around her and shut it again.

"Kepner, wait," April shrank back. "Oh my God, I didn't drag you in here to beat you up over Mark freakin' Sloan. As if. Look, I know we don't know each other that well, and maybe you'd like to tell me to mind my own business which is fair, but I think you've just jumped out of the kiddie pool into the ocean and I don't like to watch minnows drown. So talk to me. Who's the guy?"

"What guy? Why does there have to be some guy?"

Callie smirked. "Fair enough. Who's the girl then?" April sputtered, before starting to crack.

"He doesn't see me that way, NO ONE sees me that way because I've got a big fat scarlet V on my chest."

Callie sighed. "Kepner, what you've managed to do...is special okay. It's valuable because you've chosen to give it value. Why are you suddenly throwing it away on Mark Sloan?"

"Who says that's what I'm doing? It's one date."

"With the hospital's resident manwhore."

April managed, just barely, to stand her ground. "Well, that just means he's had a lot of practice, so he must be very good at...it."

Callie sighed again, "April, I realize I'm the last one to give this advice, but trust me, if that's all you want, buy a vibrator."

April practically stomped her foot. "But you, and everyone else, why can't I?"

"April, you don't want a Mark Sloan type for your first time, you want," Callie paused and thought for a moment, "you want an Arizona Robbins." April's eyes opened wide and she backed up a step.

"Doctor Torres, not to be disrespectful because I completely support your choices..."

"I don't mean you should sleep with a woman, not if you're not into that. And if you were into that and got within five feet of Arizona I would seriously have to hurt you. I simply mean..." Callie blew out a frustrated sigh.

"April, there's sex, and there's making love. Some people confuse the two, but once you've had the latter the former loses a lot of it's appeal. It may still be fun but it becomes just a touch sad, and maybe even a little pathetic. There are a lot of people who never learn the difference. There are a lot...a lot of people who keep searching for love amidst all of that sex, or use the sex to forget that they don't have the love they want, but it takes a toll. They keep losing pieces of themselves until finally, when the person that they do love comes along, or comes back, they're a freakin' mess with all of these missing pieces that that person has to somehow patch. And that's...that's a lot to expect of someone. Even someone that loves you." Callie suddenly smiled, a real smile this time.

"April, you're still whole, which is kind of a miracle nowadays. I know it's none of my business, but I just, I know what it's like to be missing pieces. I know it seems you've waited forever, but you're cute and.."

"You called me perky."

"What? That wasn't an insult. You have worked with Doctor Robbins, right? Perky is...it's good. It's nice even...after I've had my coffee. And there's someone out there who's going to appreciate the perk. Who's going to see it as something that lights up his world. And that person, that's the one you're waiting for."

"That's...that's sweet. You're very nice Doctor Torres."

"Oooh, nice?" Callie wrinkled her nose. "I'm not nice, I'm a bad ass. You...you're nice. And perky, and NOT sleeping with Mark Sloan for your first time. Got it?"

"Yes Doctor Torres. I don't suppose you know any Doctor Robbins' types?"

Callie shook her head, "They're hard to fine, but I'll keep a look out. Good luck."

April smiled and left the closet. Callie smiled to herself before grabbing some gauze bandages for cast making.


End file.
